A Link Between Words
by Xcite
Summary: "The young Hylian's hands rested on the Master Sword, and so did doubt as it rested in his soul. Soon, doubt gave its place to certainty; the two could never be together, or at least, he thought so." Post Ocarina of Time. ZeLink fluff in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Post Ocarina of Time.**

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He was a hero, she was a princess.

The young Hylian's hands rested on the Master Sword, and so did doubt as it rested in his soul. The emotions in his blue eyes showcased bravery, but he had gotten used to hiding under the mask of courage even if it were for a second.  
Even the Hero of Time would have doubts.  
The Hylian paused and held the Master Sword with uncertainty, but returned it to its holster soon after and a frown replaced his previous emotion of bravery and calmness.

The winds smoothly brushed over the great land of Hyrule and settled on the soft ground. The sacred land's sky, painted yellow and pink on its canvas, reflected on the hero's blue eyes as he glanced up. He could hear the sound of the horses galloping in distance which all soon faded as they raced away. Not far, a soothing melody played softly and echoed through the ranch.  
The young man untied his shield carefully, unraveling the holster first and loosening it afterwards. His hat soon was placed in his hands and ruffled with while he tried to come to peace with the situation, yet it seemed like he was failing the simple task. He could not overcome the fact.

He was a hero.  
He was _the_ hero. The saviour of Hyrule, the Godesses' chosen one, the Knight. Everyone depicted him with different words: 'The boy without a fairy' by the Kokiri, 'the sworn brother' by the Gorons, 'the boy' by the evil lord.  
But to her, he was only Link.

The young man's calm expression was once more replaced by a frown. He scratched his neck in confusion and pursed his lips as he realized his condition: funnily, the Hero of Time hadn't yet found a way of dodging this one specific though.

He was chosen by destiny, no, by the Godesses to be Hyrule's saviour and nothing more. He was not destined to be a part of the Royal Family, neither was he allowed in their circle. Briefly, he would appear at special occasions in the castle but never long enough.  
It was his duty to be courageous. He had to deliver his message, yet he would never do so. He hesitated. He was not a royal member. Whoever he was, he was not worthy of standing next to the Princess: the one who bore the Triforce of Wisdom.

He was a fairy boy, she was a princess. The two could never change places, thus the two would never stand together. One didn't know the life in a castle, the duties of a royal member and the tasks of running the sacred land of Hyrule. The other was never raised in a forest, never faced the evil in person and was never injured in battles.  
The two weren't equal, neither did they have any common ground.

The Hylian pulled a crumpled piece of paper from under his belt and opened it. His eyes glanced over the Lon Lon Ranch before reading the letter for the hundredth time only to ensure himself of his solitude under the tree, and afterwards he lay them on the single thing that could flip his situation.

"Princess Zelda,  
I cannot always find the words when I speak, so I decided to write you this letter.

I've never felt of anyone like this before, and I cannot hold it in anymore longer. I don't know of you feel the same way about me, but as the holder of the Triforce of Courage I felt like I had a duty to tell you the truth.

Zelda, I-"

The Hylian, pressing his teeth together with anger, crumpled the letter more and crushed it in his fist before he could read the rest. The whole concept of this was just... wrong. Stretching his arm in distance, he cast a spell and soon flames rose up from the paper which was slowly turning into ashes. The paper crumbled to bits as the fire in his hand covered it.

He was a Hylian. She was a royal.  
For ten years he thought of himself as a Kokiri, not a Hylian, even when things went weird. He never had a fairy like the rest, and much to his surprise he aged unlike his childhood friends. Despite this, he still believed he was a Kokiri only from a different kind until his true origins were revealed to him by the Deku Tree sprout.  
She was a Hylian too, but from a different kind: raised in the Royal Family, knowing her origins up to seven generations who ruled Hyrule for hundreds of years.

He was a hero, she was a royal.  
Heroes never receive the proper rewards for saving the world; they are too humble to do so. They should be humble, as it is always told in stories. The royals, instead, hold feasts for their smallest accomplishments in the kingdom.

The two did have some common ground, albeit not much. Both held a piece of the Triforce. Both knew wizardry to some extent. Both had major roles in sealing evil away.  
Nevertheless, he knew the Royal Family would never approve of them being together, even though he saved the princess from the evil king; their differences overpowered what they held in common.

The Hylian sighed in despair and ruffled his hair. He would never have a chance of being with the princess, or at least that was what he thought. He was favoured for the people of Hyrule: the Hylian children dreamt of becoming heroes like him, often dressing up in a green tunic and trying to find adventure around. Wherever he went, crowds of people blocked the streets in hopes of seeing him, and young women among them wasn't an unlikely scene. He was, too, favoured by the Royal Family, and that was the reason they subjected him of being the King's personal war leader, in case troops had to be dispatched to aid the hero.  
That was what he was to them: worthy enough to lead the land of Hyrule to peace, but nothing more. His position among the Royals defined his status. If they approved of Link and Zelda's relationship, they wouldn't have assigned him as the war leader.

Link rested his head on the tree trunk behind him, watching the beautiful evening sky. He didn't know for how long he had been there, nor he cared. In distance, Epona was peacefully grazing through the field of the ranch and the girl, Malon, was brushing her soft fur. The Melody she always sang to the horse was still playing through the ranch.

He pulled his favorite musical instrument out his bag, brushing his fingers on its soft surface. Soon, he brought the Ocarina to his lips while contemplating which song to play. A melody played through the field, attracting the attentions as the mystical, beautiful tune continued.  
His own melody which he had composed was his choice. He wasn't the best at playing the fairy Ocarina, but he enjoyed every bit of it. It was his way of altering his attention onto something else and trying to forget the situation he was caught up in.  
He had done many things to forget his situation, actually. He kept busy attending tasks he accepted from Malon and Talon in the ranch. The other way was helping people around the town, since there was always something to do. This, however, only firmed his reputation, and it was the only positive outcome and not what he intended.  
Putting the Ocarina aside, he wondered if all the effort was worth it.

No, the whole idea of them being together was wrong. He had time to think about it. He had done it for seven years, sealed away. It always ended with the same result:

He was a hero, she was a princess, and the two could never stand together, no matter what. The Hylian sighed for the last time, wiping the thoughts away. Another day was to come, full of hopes. But only time could heal this condition.

'What an irony for the Hero of Time to say this.' He smirked bitterly as he thought.

He was a hero. She was like the forbidden apple he never had to touch.

Little did he know how reverse the other thought.


	2. Chapter 2

"Link, catch!"

The children laughed as the boomerang soared through the air and flew towards the ten year old. It was their casual hobby: messing around with Link's stuff like the hookshot or the crossbow, though they only used it when no one was around in the castle's courtyard.

"Princess, watch this!"

The young Hylian ran to the edge of the courtyard were he had left his hookshot. He was going to impress the princess again, as he always did. Soon, with the hookshot in his hands, he aimed at the flying boomerang, carefully keeping it under notice. Of course, it didn't take much effort for him to shoot properly and snatch the boomerang mid-air right before it returned to Princess Zelda.

The boy flung the hookshot up, placing it on his shoulder and puffing his chest. He was being a show off, but they both knew it. It was just their share of acting as children.

It would never get tiresome for them to play endless hours, be it only poking around in the castle and performing mischief, often playfully picking on the gaurds, or just trying to discover new places. They never ran out of place in the humongous palace; they could dedicate their lives to finding hiding spots and secrets around.

Of course, this was only them enjoying their lost seven years. One was sealed away by the sages, and the other underwent extreme training in order to extract the true power of the Triforce of Wisdom and use it to its extents.

Not realizing the empty bottle being thrown at him, the young Hylian, standing still with his chest puffed up was knocked flat on the ground with a thud.

"Sorry! I thought you'd catch it!" The ten year old princess Zelda ran to him while holding her dress up.

Link sat up holding his head, leaning on an arm firmed to the grass floor. "I'm okay... I think so."

Both, exchanging looks, blasted in another laughter. It was their nature to be so careless about things. They found joy in simple things, gave themselves the freedom to be curious wherever they went and never failed to shrug things off and laugh.

"Here, let me heal it." The princess covered a small patch of scar left on the boy's arm, formed there when he hit the ground. It didn't take much effort for her; she had to learn everything about healing the smallest or the greatest injuries for seven years.

"I am very grateful, princess."

"You know you don't have to be so formal around me, Link." Zelda replied, "And what's the problem with calling me by my name?"

Link rested his arms on his legs and breathed deeply, "It is my duty to remain loyal to the Royal Family regardless of the situation and I shall not give myself the permission to stop calling the Royals by their titles. We are friends, princess, but that doesn't mean it would dismiss me from my duties."

Zelda shrugged, "That's obnoxious. Like, very."

Their days passed like this. Link was assigned to protecting the princess as he had shown himself worthy of the position. He was present at the castle most of the time, hanging around princess Zelda. They welcomed him with open arms (one of the many advantages of saving the kingdom). Mostly, she would get caught up with what she called 'boring tasks of a princess', but they never failed to spend time together.

"Well excuuuse me, princess. But a job is a job." Link smirked at her.

" May Nayru grant me the patience to bear with you!" Once more, all that was heard was their simple, pure laughter echoing through the courtyard. Soon, a peaceful silence replaced the joyful laughs, bringing them to their senses.

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No. Princess Zelda. Impa. She was blamed. Zelda was blamed by Impa... because of him. Impa... she told him Zelda had... other playmates to spend time with...

...Scolded... 'for making the princess stop acting as one'... that was what Impa told him...

...other playmates...

...no.

"No...Impa... Please don't...take her! Impa!"

"...IMPA!"

His chest kept falling up and down. It took him several moments to realize he was burying nails in his palms as he woke up. He could only make out a blurred outline of everything, but squinting through the blinding dark, they gradually became clear, and he found himself on the soft hay bed he always used to sleep on, in the ranch's field.

Link lay his hand on his forehead in an attempt to calm himself down as he tried to process what happened. The young man lay back on the hay he was resting on, but he knew how unlikely it was to fall back asleep.

It seemed like his problem wasn't going to leave him be, even in his dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi :) I'm back with the new chapter. I'll be updating every two to three days now,so keep that in mind.**

**Thank you so so much for the uplifting reviews!**

**Here you go, and enjoy.**

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The sun shone brightly over the Lon Lon Ranch, warming up the grass field and granting life to everything. The horses neighed in distance and raced through the vast place. Life had begun again; a new day had come. It was time to start fresh.

Across the ranch and inside its sole house, the family was starting their daily work. Malon filled the kettle and put it on the fire while Talon was wearing his boots to attend the ranch cows and also deliver the castle's daily milk rations. Meanwhile, the young Hylian with terribly messy hair came downstairs.

"Hello Sir, Good morning Malon." Link greeted the ranch's owner and his daughter as he sat down at the breakfast table.

"My, you're up so soon my boy." Talon replied as he joined Link.

This was their routine: they would greet each other, chat a bit and move on to doing their daily tasks until night. Eventually they would gather and talk about their day while enjoying a hot cup of Lon Lon milk.

"Is there anything I can help with around today in the ranch?"

"Son, I have it covered. I'll be sending the milk rations myself. See if Malon needs some help."

"Father, the letters have arrived." Malon handed Talon the mail but soon turned her attention to the boiling kettle on fire.

"Bloody, they're keeping me dry. The quality of the kingdom's service goes down but the rates keep climbing up!" Talon said as he went through the papers.

"Taxes again?" Link asked while he brought a cup of milk to his lips, "Sir, if that's a problem I can report it to the castle easily, you know."

"Thank you my boy, but at least we're not like the townspeople. I wonder why they charge them double over tax."

Link sipped his milk and got up. "Sir, I am going to town today. Are there any specifics needed for the ranch or the house?"

Talon gratefully shook his head, signalling him a no.

"I shall see you at sunset, then."

The Hylian marched out of the house to retrieve his horse from the stable. However, as he walked across the great ranch he heard his name being called.

"Link!"

The Hylian turned to locate the source of the voice. Malon was running after him, with what seemed like a poach and something rolled in her hands. The girl approached him while panting, but she recovered soon enough.

"You aren't going to buy anything from the market if you forget this." Malon handed him the brown poach and soon he realized what it was: his Rupee wallet.

"It seems so that as time passes by it won't act sincere even to the Hero of Time! I've been getting so forgetful lately. Thank you." He laughed as he tied his wallet around his waist.

"Link, and you have this one, too." Malon handed him the roll she was carrying.

"Where'd you get it?" He asked half curious, half confused. The paper roll contained the red royal seal on it which he found strange; the Royal Family always sent him a messenger to announce events for him.

"It was between the letters."

Again, he found it weird. He would receive tons of letters from across Hyrule; people wrote him how they were grateful to him for saving the kingdom, some wrote they wanted to see him in person and sometimes weird stuff would pop out of the mail. But then again, he had never gotten a parchment with the royal seal.

He looked at Malon to see if she knew anything. Unsurprisingly, she was as curious as he was.

he opened the parchment with care. The paper was so smooth and soft and of high quality it didn't leave room for doubt; it definitely was sent from the Royals. His fingers crept on the paper and unrolled it, a doing which later became his regret.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

His hands trembled as he held the the parchment. He brushed his finger on the yellow paper again, just to ensure himself that what he held in front of him was real.

No, it couldn't be. It was ludicrous to receive it. There must have been a mistake, otherwise he wouldn't be the one to read the paper roll, sealed with the royal mark.

What the parchment held was merely a bundle of unfortunate events.

Regret gave its place to surprise, surprise turned into anxiety, and anxiety became fear. What he read acted as sandpaper for his soul, rubbing it and thinning out the only strands of hope he had. He didn't notice how worried Malon became over his inner turmoil.

The young man sat on the grassy field of the ranch and only stared at the parchment. Confused, he read the official letter once again. It must have been a mistake.

His hands shook as he held the roll. He couldn't process anything. He didn't care about Malon running to call her father to see what the heck was wrong with him. He didn't care when he set the parchment on fire by Din's gift, either. He didn't care about the pain when his hand was burnt as he used magic carelessly. He didn't care.

His knuckles turned white as he slammed his fists on the ground, scaring the ranch horses around him. His soul was burning with rage, eating him up like a demon. He felt like having a bucket of ice water ducked on him.

The letter read:

_"The Lord Zaluu is commanded by Hyrule's King to invite:_

_Hero of Time Link_

_to the Marriage of_

_Prince Garshasp of the Perisa Kingdom_

_With_

_Her Highness Princess Zelda of Hyrule_

_at the Royal Hyrule Castle_

_on the 15th Moon of the Month"_

No. It was a hoax... it must have been. How could this have happened so quick and quiet? He was the closest to the princess...

He was raised with her.

But then again, reality hit him like a crash.

Hadn't he gone through the fact that he couldn't be with her?

He was mad how stupid he was, not because of Princess Zelda's marriage.

He was mad because of how idiotic he was when he thought he actually had a chance with her. The whole concept of it was wrong. He had gone through it many times before.

Yet he didn't know why he felt like something was taken from him.

The young Hylian soon rushed to the house on the ranch as he ran across the field. His feet weren't taking order from him anymore. He slammed the door open, trying to trace his equipment. He took his holster down from the hang and tied the Master Sword around his waist. He was too impatient and confused to even go back to the stable as he sloppily played Epona's song.

Soon, he darted out of the ranch while riding Epona.

He didn't even bother to say farewell to Malon and Talon.

He didn't stay to thank them for all they had done for him. He didn't stay to thank them for the sympathy they had shown him over the years by accepting him one of their own. He didn't stay to thank them for being his family, even though knew he would later regret this.

He didn't want to stay there anymore.

Just being at the ranch would remind him of what had happened. Living in Hyrule, watching the wedding day get closer and closer until they reached the fifteenth of the moon would eat him up slowly and painfully. He was mad, but at himself. He had spent days thinking how to express himself to her, even going as far as writing her a would that have turned out like? 'I love you too Link but I'm getting married to someone else'?

How ridiculous.

"Heya!" He stammered at Epona. He rode across the Hyrule field and towards the Abreshia Road which was the only path out of Hyrule. He commanded her to go faster and faster, as if it was going to distance him from what was to come, making his shield slam against his body harder each time she galloped. Yet, he didn't care. The pain inflicted by that only acted as a distraction, and he gladly welcomed it.

Why had he been so ignorant? He wasn't a royal. He wasn't a prince. The royal blood wasn't running in his veins. He barely even knew his origins, if knowing he was a Hylian counted. He was nothing close to what the Royal Family was looking for. Then why was he acting so messed up?

As he gathered his thoughts together, he gradually pinpointed the reason: He hadn't prepared himself for this situation.

How many times had the prince she was marrying saved her? Had he spent seven years of his life sealed away, not even being able to sense his body? Had he gone through the trouble of uniting the entire sages?

But the prince was not the one to blame, he knew it well.

He wanted to scream out every single thing he had kept inside. His heart was commanding him to go to the opposite direction and to the castle.

But his mind kept him going on against his will.

It was funny, he recalled how much he once tried to create a flower bunch out of thin air using Nayru's wisdom. Not bearing the Triforce of Wisdom, it took him days to eventually learn how to do it and gifted it to Princess Zelda when he was twelve.

Why was his mind reminding him of this now? It merely seemed like it was trying to humiliate him further.

He pressed his teeth against each other in a mixture of despair and anger. What was wrong with him?

He came to the same conclusion he always had come to:

'He was a hero, she was a princess, and the two could never stand together no matter what.'

So he rode under the Scared Land's sun and crossed it fiercely. He was going to return to Hyrule eventually, but only when it was time to save the kingdom once again.

For now, he had no place there. This kingdom didn't need a hero for the time being, and he was going to let it be. The Hero of Time put distance between himself and what he once called home. He was a part of Hyrule, but he did not want the fact to be true anymore.

For the first time in his life, he wished he never was the Godesses' chosen one.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! Sorry for the wait. I'll be updating every two or three days. Thank you so so much for your great reviews! Enjoy and tell me watcha think :3**

**PS The poem is not mine. It is for the great 13th century poet Rumi AKA Mowlavi in the Middle East.**

***EDIT: Something went wrong with this chapter, I had to post it again.**

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Her sorrowful eyes scanned the Sacred Land with care from her window: The Goddesses' love and might were etched over the kingdom. In every grain of sand in Gerudo Valley rested the love of Nayru; the deserts sang the melodies of the Goddess to them. In each soul lived Din's power, granting will to Hyrule, be it Zora, Gerudo, Hylian or Goron. The Goddess of Power's might was with her creations to permit them to strive, live, battle and hope. But what never faded in the Sacred Land was courage. It was one with its people. Each being held the essence of the Goddess of Courage in their hearts.

All was visible in one look over the kingdom. One only had to learn to see it.

She could hear the land chanting the sacred word of the Goddesses. The light whispered it to the earth. The earth passed the songs to the moving water, and water lent the words to wind to carry the sacred words to the worthy.

Hyrule wasn't the Goddesses' only prized creation; with Hyrule came the songs. And now, she could hear the land softly singing the first song ever decsended upon Hylians; one which had been passed down in the Royals. She knew every word of it.

_"Listen to the reed-flute, how it complains,_

_Lamenting its banishment from its home:_

_'Ever since they tore me from my osier bed,_

_By my plaintive notes tears have been shed_

_I burst my chest, striving to give vent to sighs,_

_And to express the pangs of my yearning for my home.' "_

She whispered the holy song. She had never fully understood the concept of it, but now she did: As the Goddesses created Hyrule and its inhabitants, they trapped souls in the mortal world. One's mind shall never rest until it returns to the Holy Heaven where the Goddesses souls suffer from separation from their creators, but that may not be the only reason. Her soul was suffering from separation, but not from her creators:

She did not want it to happen, for her heart was seized by someone else.

Gold and silver lights sprang around her arm and wrapped themselves around her hand as she cast a spell. As the rays settled, a vision rose from her palm; two children, both Hylian. Her eyes were fixed on the scene slowly coming to life.

"Link, catch!" Her voice echoed out of the golden vision while she saw her ten year old self throwing a boomerang towards the other. How joyful yet so sad she felt while witnessing it; they were so careless and free back then, but those happy days would never return.

She closed her palm and soon the vision vanished between her fingers, leaving a golden aura behind. Had she watched it longer, she would have broken into tears, and that was not expected from the princess of Hyrule.

That day was counted as the most unfortunate; something far worse than bad news had reached her. She was prepairing for the King's speech when she was summoned by him. Impa had quietly entered the dressing room where she was at. Pins and needles all in her dress, the Royal Tailor was prepairing her outfit for the following day.

"Princess Zelda?" Impa's voice reached her.

"Impa! How fortunate that you have come here. May I ask whether the Hero of Time has decided to visit or not today?"

"I am reluctant to tell you, princess, but no. Although that is not the reason I have interrupted your session; I am here to tell you that the great king has summoned you."

Princess Zelda shook her head understandingly.

"You shall meet him in the Throne Room."

And she did. The king's joyful face made a smile sit on her lips for she thought something good had happened, though she did not know it was the opposite. She didn't exactly know how she made it to her room after he delivered his speech; the world seemed like spinning around her head.

Why was this happening?

As Princess Zelda surfaced back to reality, she found herself standing by the window once more, gazing at the great land of Hyrule. The sunset light reflected from the polished stone walls and lit the room up, but for some reason it almost felt as if the warmth was sapped away immediately.

She had had enough. Having her father tell her she was getting married was bad news, getting married to someone she had never seen was worse.

Link was whatever she wasn't, and that was the power which managed to keep a bond between them. They had little in common, yet strangely their contrast was the core to their relationship. It was what kept them together.

Yet something had separated her from him recently. His visits to the castle had become less over time; she used to see him everyday around. His absence in the castle was vivid, and she did not know why he hadn't come over in the past few weeks.

She regretted everything when she sat on the edge of her bed elegantly.

She had hesitated, and her last chance had slipped away. What they held in their relationship was far stronger than friendship, yet she never admitted her feelings thus they were left in a state of friendship and nothing more; deep in her heart she feared disapproval. The strangest moments occurred when the two twenty year olds were left alone with each other; words refused to flow to her mind. The feeling was farther than friendship and she knew it well.

She raised her palm and placed it on her face. A sigh escaped her lips; it was her way of expressing stress and despair for she was taught to repress them as a princess.

A burden rested on her chest. She had to get it off, she needed to. Otherwise it would shatter her from the inside, and she had to get it off before it was too late.

She did not want to get married, at least not to someone she had never known.

She knew what her mission was as she rose up from her bed to get ready:

She had to find Link before everything was over, and there was nothing to do to stop her.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hey :) I'm back with more.**

**Thank you so much for your reviews so far. They mean the world to me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise. Nothing; Nintendo does, sorry :)**

**Enjoy.**

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It was a futile effort.  
The Hylian threw the two simple carved stones away and covered his face in his hands, putting his elbows on his legs while sitting. Smoke arose from the dry tinder and burned his eyes and lungs. Hacking up a lung, he put the half burnt tinder out by spilling dirt all over. It was useless.

His hands were giving out. He stretched his arms and clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly for a rest. Had he continued more his gauntlets would have been completely worn out, as they already were in a state of useable and useless from all the rubbing against hard stone.  
Hours he had tried to light a single fire, but he failed miserably each time.

He leaned on the stone wall behind him. The cold night breeze found its way into the cave but settled soon, nevetheless it didn't fail to make the Hylian shiver like a child left in rain. He wrapped his hands around his body and crept closer to a resting, laid down Epona for more thermal protection; the two had chosen to camp in a cave for the time being as a result of the cold summer night before they resumed their journey.  
Food was no object; hunting was never a big deal to him neither was he picky on food. He would even live on Dodongo meat if necessary. Protection wasn't a concern either, but what he needed the most was thermal protection and he was terrible at providing it.

He could simply use Nayru's gift and start a fire.

Albeit, he didn't. He wanted to cut off everything belonging to Hyrule. Everything he carried, wore and used was a memento of Hyrule, and Hyrule itself was a keepsake of her. She wasn't his and he wasn't hers, and it ate him up to know it. He wished he was the one who bore the Triforce of Wisdom; he would know how simply erase everything he had in mind of her. Every memory and trace of whatever connecting him to a relationship with her would be gone forever and that was what he wanted so badly: to reverse destiny and rewrite it his own way.

Epona softly brushed her muzzle on his shoulder. He didn't understand every interaction of his loyal steed although he wasn't helpless either. In response, his palm met her forehead and patted her gently.  
"Please bear with me, Epona." He helplessly stammered at the steed, but she only looked at him with expectant eyes. "I hope you don't regret keeping up with me."  
"I should have left you at Talon's..." He sighed after a pause. The horse, seeming to understand his words, whined at his statement almost as if she was disagreeing with him, although he could never be sure of it.

His body shuddered once again under the influence of the cold night. To his surprise, Epona rested her head on his laps. He crept closer again and this time he laid against her strong body. The steed pushed her head against his belly, forcing him to crawl closer to her neck. He brought a hand up to calm his companion down, but eventually he realized why she did so: with him wrapping his hands around her neck and her head on his laps the two were perfectly close, enough to keep warm for the night.

The Hylian chuckled. If there were someone who actually cared about him a lot, he couldn't name anyone else than his horse. He replied her thoughtfulness by patting her once more, but he was going to reward her further. He reached out for his leather bag in the dark, his hands brushing on the ground as he relied on his sense of touch to study the surroundings. He felt the soft and fuzzy fur rub against his fingers and he didn't hesitate to take a carrot out of it.

"Good girl..." He held the tasty reward in front of her. Epona didn't take more than a minute to chew the carrot up after sniffing it from his hands, but it seemed as she wanted more. Link felt her warm breath on his palms as she brought her muzzle to his hands for more, but took it to another level and licked his hands to get the most out of what he gave her.  
"Whoa, Epona! That's all I got." He scratched her ear gently. The loyal steed whimpered in response.

"We better get a night's sleep if we want to get moving." The Hylian streched his legs and arms while taking a deep breath. He rubbed his eyes, he could feel the need to rest slowly infest him and take control. The young man took his left boot off before he got comfortable and placed it next to his other belongings: his Fairy Bow, his Hookshot, two bottles, one filled with Lon Lon milk and the other empty, and his trusty shield and sword.  
The other boot hit something on the stone floor as he threw it next to his things. His hands brushed on the ground and reached out for what was there; his bag was still where he had left it, but some of the contents were thrown out as a result of the impact. He threw them back inside, but his fingers came across something awfully familiar while doing so.

Link brought the instrument near and laid against Epona again as he examined it; it once was a gift to him when he was a child. He smiled as he recalled where and when: in the green lively forest before he ventured out to the great Hyrule field. It was given to him by a childhood friend: no one other than Saria herself.  
He brought the Fairy Ocarina close to his lips and settled on the song she had taught him long ago. It was time to visit a friend, albeit vocally. He played the song unhurriedly; what he had was time.  
A familiar voice played out of the ocarina and put a heartwarming smile on the hero's lips.  
"Hello?"

He couldn't express his joy by words. His expression changed into a big smile which stopped words from flowing, like his brain was somehow malfunctioning. It was all he was seeking: happiness.  
"Darn it, Mido! If you mess again with my private talking system I swear I'll get you!" Her voice turned annoyed.  
"I'm not Mido." He playfully spoke in the ocarina and waited for a response.  
"L...Link?! Link! I'm so happy to hear your voice!"  
"Me too, Saria. Figured I talked to you to see how everyone's doing so far."  
"That's so sweet of you..."  
Even though he couldn't see her, he was sure she was smiling her biggest smile at the moment.  
"How are you, Saria?"  
A brief moment of silence occurred. " Happy, because you called me."

'Link and Saria... would always stay friends...' her word played through his mind. He heard them years ago, and he was surprised how the smallest things were kept in mind. Yes, he and Saria would always stay friends, but reality somehow seperated them.  
He had nothing to say. Hearing her voice seemed as a blessing in the middle of a void of despair, and he was happy to have it.  
"Link, will you visit?" Her voice shyly played out of the ocarina.  
He was somehow amazed by her request, both in good and bad ways. He wasn't a ten year old to hang around anymore and not many adults were accepted in the Kokiri forest, but on the other hand Saria was among the few friends he had.  
"Sure." Albeit, he could never indicate when, he wasn't sure of he was going back to Hyrule soon.  
"Really? Since you haven't been here an awful long while."  
"Saria," He chuckled before he went on, "how many times have I broken my promises?"  
"I...I didn't... I just wanted to make sure."  
"Don't worry. Now tell me, any news from the great Deku Tree?"  
"Oh you'll be surprised. The great Deku Tree has given shelter to a wild Djin in the forest."

"A what?" He scratched his neck, a habit he had developed when confused.  
"A Djin. They're among the most magical creatures in existence."  
"I wonder why'd he do that?" He replied, quite amused.  
" The great Deku Tree chose to give residence to a wild Djin because he said its powers could not be held by the hands of evil."  
"Why? Are they like some extraordinary fairy or something?"  
" Djins are like Genies, Link, although their powers are far greater than a one."  
'No one shall doubt the Deku Tree's wisdom, then.' He thought. "So they grant you wishes."  
"More than wishes, but at some point yes. But we don't even know where it is kept."  
"Most probably the best for all of you. I wouldn't fiddle around with that thing if I were there."  
"Link?"  
"Yes, Saria?"  
"I need to go. The curfew will be up in a few minutes."  
"Take your time, kid."

He mentally facepalmed although he bit his lips so hard after saying it, but he covered have his face in shame afterwards. Why did that blurt out of his mouth?! That only made him look like a total idiotic fool.

"I'm sorry! I'm very sorry! I didn't mean to say that!"  
"Link, I-"  
"You aren't a kid, no, not mentally, I didn't mean that! At some point, yes, but- Gah!" Words spurted out of his mouth uncontrollably as he tried to fix the situation but each word miserably worsened it.  
"Link!" Her soft voice, followed by a laughter, coaxed him into a more calm emotion. "I get it!"  
"Just...really sorry about that..." He felt his face become hot in shame and embarrassment. He was happy she wasn't there to see him.  
"You don't have to be sorry, Link." Her laughter hadn't ceased yet. "You are still the strange kid you were ten years ago."  
"We better discuss my awkwardness later and get some rest both." He joked.  
"Then take care, Link!"  
"You too, Saria."

He heard a clicking sound from the ocarina indicating she had left. He tugged the ocarina back in his bag and stretched out his arms again. Epona neighed softly and bent her neck around his body, and he replied in wrapping his hands around her neck. This way, both could keep warm enough, as if a blanket was pulled over them in the summer breeze. He couldn't resist sleep anymore. It crept its way towards his mind and slowly took over. His body was succumbing to the burning need to sleep, but before he shut his eyes and surrendered to the need he knew what he had to do, for he had an ultimate goal to achieve no matter what: He was going to find a Djin.

For many reasons, it felt logical. But before he could think them over and figure out which was his best, his eyelids shut and darkness surrounded him. His thoughts were painted invisible as they slowly slipped away and he drifted to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Heya :) back with more, but beware; this chapter's very short compared to the others. Mostly because I think I've caught a cold (in the middle of summer. Oh the irony) and I'm not feeling too well, so this was all I could cough up for the time being. **

**I've gone back and edited the typos out of the last chapter. I forgot to spell check last time :/**

**Thank you so so much for every review especially for the constructive ones. Enjoy.**

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_Dear Malon,_

_Forgive me for my untimely departure. I am writing you this letter to tell you and Talon to not fret about what happened back at the ranch as I have embarked on a personal journey, but I do wish your forgiveness for my not bidding farewell to you. I have decided to leave Hyrule for some time._

_Do not try to seek out my location. I have chosen to keep a low profile for the time being as I feel this is the best option for all of us; I do not want to entail you and your father in what I have gotten myself into, as you already carry problems of your own concerning the ranch and your family and I cannot grant myself the permission to add more to them._

_I cannot inform you about my return for even I do not know when I will come back to Hyrule. It may take weeks before we meet again, or the duration may stretch into months or maybe even a year. I do not know, but nevertheless I shall return home one day, sooner or later._

_I must thank you and Talon for everything you have done for me. You two chose to give shelter to a boy and know him as a part of your family. This is the greatest thing a person has done for me, and I am most grateful for it. _

_Yours truly,_

_Link_

The Hylian read the letter written in shining scarlet ink once more. He drew out a leather string out of his bag and tied the letter into a roll. He pursed his lips as he contemplated his doings; his actions were straight out wrong, but people do so when things go downhill for them.

He pulled Epona's bridle close and tied the letter around her neck with another leather string. His palm petted her forehead softly to calm the steed further.

"Epona," He whispered, "take this back to Hyrule. I will continue my journey on foot from now."

The steed whimpered at him, but he couldn't make sure whether it meant she had agreed.

"You remember the path, don't you? Go back." He pulled her bridle towards the tracks they had come from. He pointed towards the tracks going back to Hyrule. "Get back to Lon Lon Ranch."

But the steed didn't move.

"Epona? I said go!" He protested, but it seemed she had other plans. He pulled her bridle again, only to see the horse still refused to take commands.

"What am I going to do with you?" He sighed as he realized she wasn't leaving him alone. She would follow him to hell and back if she had to, and what would make her leave now?

The letter wasn't going to be delivered. There were no means of transport other than his horse, and it seemed as she wasn't willing to let go of her rider to merely deliver a letter.

He was in no mood to force her, either.

"Let's just go." He sighed again and mounted her saddle. He put the letter back in his bag, hopeful to come across something -or someone- to deliver it one day before it was late.

He resumed his journey as he crossed the deserts with his loyal steed, bouyant to achieve his goals.

Of course he had no idea about the uproars he had caused in his homeland of Hyrule.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: H...hello?

Please don't kill me for leaving abruptly. I'm so sorry :( I was writing this story before my summer break ended and, well, when school began again I didn't even have the time to scratch my head despite the fact that I thought I _could _continue writing because it was summer (Ya people, I go to school in summers. Uuuugh). I didn't leave a note telling you I'll be away for a month, I thought I'd be back soon. So sorry!

You can lay your pitchforks down now, because I'll be updating daily starting from now. Anyways... I'm back. This chapter is a bit short, but because I took a one month hiatus I had a bit of a problem getting my writing mood back on. It was a bit difficult to start again.

Special thanks to Wildgirl404 and Maximumrider99 for being constant reviewers. You rock :)

Enjoy, and if you like leave a review.

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_His gaze sent a chill down her spine. It was a twisted, sickening grimace of pain followed by a scream so loud it curdled her blood in her veins. She shut her eyes closed, yet she could see all that was happening. She didn't want to see it, but her will wasn't hers._

_Who was he? She didn't know. A somewhat vague face he had, covered in mists her imagination had painted. Strangely, he felt so real. He felt so... familiar. But she didn't have the slightest inkling on his identity, nor she cared._

_It was a figure who stood by her. A strong warrior carved of steel, nothing could ever hurt him. His hands were gripped to his bow with great power, but his eyes were telling another tale._

_His eyes were a fiery blue, so fierce she felt her soul get trapped in them if she gazed at them. She dared to look at his sky blue orbs, but all she saw was a burning rage. It petrified her as she recklessly looked him in the eyes, nevertheless she perceived something else: behind the burning callousness and rage lay a tint of regret. It wasn't too hard to understand it. After all, she was the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom._

_Abruptly she had her attention averted._

_Thunder clashed with fire. Fire became one with water and ice rained on them, setting fire to their surroundings and devouring it in flames. Lightning struck and lit the warrior's face as lands shook; all of which happened in merely seconds. Her body shivered so uncontrollably. As sudden as the land's fury was, so was its settling as the land returned to peace, but not everything was still intact._

_She raised her head wearily, only to find the figure founder. She gasped, and soon her gasp turned into a silent scream as he stumbled uncontrollably and fell to his knees. He never said a word or whimpered in pain; she knew he was too proud to do it. She eyed his muscular body tremble, but soon he surrendered. With his hands stretched out wide, he landed roughly on his chest and fell to the ground harshly._

_No._

_It couldn't have happened, could it? She scanned the fallen man, but there was no room for doubt; the figure had fallen to his death._

_She felt her skin dampen and become wet with tears. She couldn't neglect her emotion and fear overshadowed her. Great despair gripped her heart so hard she gasped for air, but it was a futile effort._

_He was gone, so was her only strand of hope for freedom._

Zelda's eyes shot open. Tangled between her blankets, she pushed them aside and sat by her bed. Only her heavy breathing was heard, trying so hard to calm her pounding heart. Cold sweat ran down her forehead and tumbled in her hair. Her feet crossed the stone floor and entered the balcony, covered in silver moonlight.

Her stomach lurched in sickness. Her hands freed her tied up hair and soon her golden braids pooled on her shoulders.

She leaned against the railing and breathed the cold night air in.

_A dream, or a nightmare?_ Unorganized thoughts flew in her head, making it even harder to think clearly.

_Neither_. Zelda exhaled the air uncontrollably.

_A prophecy._

Her teeth clashed so hard against each other. What Nayru showed her was above horror; it was reality, thus making fear rest in her heart even more, the weigh pulling her down and drowning her in something between despair and depression.

It was time.

She had to go. She had waited long enough. Long enough for the goddesses to bestow their knowledge to her, and she was terrified to know it. No more waiting could be done. She had to move right then and there without hesitation before it was too late, later than it already was. She clutched her gold hair and looked at the kingdom with fear. The prophecy was directing her in the correct and inevitable direction.

She mustered her will and walked over to the door so quietly. Zelda put her doubtful hands on the handle, but pushed it open nevertheless. She had already started her journey. She had made her choice.

_Link_. She breathed the air once again.

..._Link_.

.

.

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	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Daily updates?! Who said anything about 'em?! Sorry, the internet connection went down for more than a week and I couldn't update as I promised. To prevent further incidents (such as this one, ouch) let's update every 2-3 days again, okay? Please don't kill me :)**

**Thank you for every follow, fave and review! Thanks for being with me until now, it means so much to me.**

**Let's not forget we're a day away form 9/11. My heart goes out to all those who lost their loved ones and families in the incident. Peace 3**

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Days passed. No, maybe more. It may have been weeks, although he didn't know. He lost count after a while. It was too agonizing to keep track of the days, as he kept writing down every passing day and night, in storms, under the burning sun, in the freezing nights, but soon he gave up. Moons passed, yet he wasn't the closest bit near to his objective. In fact, every step he took only put distance between them. His feet were giving up, telling him they would collapse with one more step. His hands ached from the numbing cold and killing heat, his eyes were red from numerous sleepless nights; all of which never belonged to a man so young of age. Soon, he started forgetting. Numbers turned into jumbles of meaningless text and his mind refused to comprehend their meaning after a while, as if he had never been acquainted with them. Amnesia targeted his memories afterwards and trapped them, putting leashes on each and erasing them bit by bit. All he could recall after some time were vague faces of people. He barely remembered how Zelda looked like, as if her picture was stained and smudged in his mind.

Things went worse when he stumbled upon a wasteland.

He ran into mirages, not only in his way, but also in his mind. His rough hands gripped his water flask so tightly, hopeful to find the smallest droplet of water. His mind failed him every time, forcing him to run to what he merely thought could save him, only to find it disappear as soon as he marched towards it. He started malfunctioning, to the point even he himself couldn't realize that. Stranded in a desert, all he saw was sand. The frying sunlight reflected his hopes and made him crawl to mirages with little energy he had left, burying his palms into hot sand, even going as far as tasting it to make sure it wasn't what he wanted. His body was giving up, but he wasn't -couldn't- understand it. He stumbled back to his path, aimlessly walking around in the wasteland for hours, day and night hopeful to find what he thirsted for. The cold darkness surrounded him cruelly when the sun set. He burrowed his body in warm sand for protection; he was doing what he could to strive.

Weeks passed. What surrounded him wasn't the desert anymore, it was illusion. The illusion of his bag strapped to his back, the illusion of his horse following him, the illusions of Malon and Talon, gazing at him oh so furiously.

He left them all. He left Epona not too far from the cave, knowing she'd eventually wander her way back to Hyrule like she always would, he couldn't let her suffer like himself. His equipment were lost in a blizzard as it took everything -literally everything- with it such as his hookshot, one of his bottles, his shield, everything he needed. What remained were merely his empty flask of water and a bow low on arrows alongside the Master Sword.

Even his initial goal of finding a genie seemed like a far cry to him. No, no a genie, but whatever its name was he forgot. Actually he didn't acknowledge where to look. His path was lost, his body ached with the need to rest, his mind only wanted shelter. All would be available if only he wasn't too rushed.

He gritted his teeth with anger, shame and regret mixed altogether. He cursed himself for his wrongdoings, spewing venom with each word. He wasn't too far from collapsing to the sand floor. He steps became weak and unstable. His vision became blurry and illusive. He knew it was all about finding help or having buzzards circle around you waiting for your body to drop dead.

What kept him going so far?

Her golden braids wavered so beautifully, the sunlight giving them their glorious lustre beneath the clear sky. Her head tilted up, her mesmerising eyes shone with every move they made. Her tiara rested on her hair, showcasing its beauty like its owner.

But he knew it was another illusion. Why wouldn't it be?

Nevertheless, he tumbled to her. The path was never ending, stretching more and more by every step he took, but eventually he reached her. He fell to his knees miserably and collapsed on the sand with a sickening thud as he used the last drops and bits of his energy. He kept his eyes open and looked at her. His hands reached out to hold hers firmly and tell him how cowardly he acted, but she faded away quickly. It was another of the many visions he was having.

He bit his lips so hard he tasted bitter iron in his mouth, soon he felt tears drop to the sand and evaporate in a few seconds.

He was carried away by the flow of time. Oh, the irony! Wasn't he the Hero of it?

He used to be.

He was dead. He thought he was, as he couldn't feel pain anymore. Either that or he was close to it, so close he could feel death's blade push against his neck, threatening his life. He couldn't care much.

Things started fading into a black abyss. The world took a dark tint swirling around him gradually. He stumbled to the ground for the hundredth time, with a raspy breath. This was the end for him, wasn't it?

Everything took another shape, reunited and reformed themselves as his eyes were coming to a close.

"Wh...Whaa..th'sss..." He tried putting words together, only to find himself stutter so badly. His arms clasped the sand with his chest rubbing against it as he was lying so vulnerably on the ground.

What was that sound he heard? There was no one other than him.

You're a disgrace.

You're a disgrace to everything.

Is this what your parents gave their lives for?

'Probably what Zelda's thinking right now...' He mused about it, having words fly aimlessly in his mind. Yes, he was a disgrace. In what part of the Hyrule history did the hero ever bail out? He did, didn't he? The Hero of Time, the holder of the Triforce of Courage turned out to be a coward, after all.

Link sensed movement in distance, unable to pinpoint what it actually was. His torn gloves grabbed the cream sand grains and pushed his body up, an attempt to get himself back together and stand. He made out a blurry outline of whatever it was: its massive body was somewhat white, moving on fours. A bushy tail wagged behind it, and he could hear the hungry pants of the beast.

Oh dear goddesses, no. Was this his fate?

The white wolfos was reaching him slowly, as if it was evaluating how much of a threat the Hero posed. Link scowled at the situation and brought his hand to his sword's hilt to draw it anytime, he couldn't accept the idea of dying like that. If his tunic were to be torn, if his body were to be broken, if his flesh were to be eaten, he wasn't going down without a fight.

What were the goddesses planning for him now?

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** Don't forget to leave a review if you like this story :P Thanks :)**


	9. Notice

**A/N: Hello dear readers! Please note that this is more a notice than a chapter. I do apologize a lot for not updating ****_and _****letting you down since you thought this would be a chapter but it didn't turn out to be. **

**The reason I'm putting this up is to prevent any further unannounced breaks; School is starting tomorrow (we go by a different calendar). Yes, it was summer for me until now while most of you have been going to school for nearly two weeks :)**

**Ok, let's not wander off the subject. I'm a senior this year in high school therefore I might not find the time to write as frequently as I did in summer. As a result, ****_updates will be slow and random. _****Again, I apologize, even I don't like that routine because it kills my writing vibe but it seems as I have no other choice :( **

**If you have noticed, there's been a quality drop in recent chapters… I hate to admit it, but there obviously has. This is a result of trying to give 'quick' updated and messing them up instead, but don't you fret, I'll still keep writing in the meantime I'm not updating. The longer waits mean slower updates, but slower updates also mean better quality. I'll be editing what I have written constantly, and also increase my word count in each chapter so don't worry too much about it.**

**To summarize stuff: I can't update on a daily basis anymore. It was fun to do so in summer, but from now on I will write when I have a chance. I will end this story at about 15 chapters, just so you know (maybe 12 or 13 chapters, but we'll see).**

**Thank you again for taking the time to read my story. It means a lot.**

**See you later :)**

**-Xcite**


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